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(No Model.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet l. J. A. K. MGG'REG'OR.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

when the circuit is closed.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. K. MCGREGOR, OF NFAV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, HERMAN COHN, EDlVARD COHN, HENRY XVALLAOH, AND SOLOMON J. IVALLACH, TRUSTEES, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,602,

dated October 28, 1890.

Application filed May 6, 1890. Serial No. 350,789- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN A. K. MOGREGOR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Electrical Switch, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of the same, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a single-pole switch embodying my lnvention with the slide in such position that the circuit is broken. Fig. 2 is a plan view with the slide in a second position intermediate the first and that Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on line mm, Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a plan view of the switch with the circuit closed. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on line y y, Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view on line .2 2, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified form of the switch in the second position. Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional views of still other modified forms of the switch, the

first having the wing pivoted instead of rigidly secured to the slide and the second having the wing flat and the inclined plane secured to the terminal arm. Fig. 10 isa plan view of the modification adopted .when a doublevpole switch is required; Fig. 11, a plan view of that employed for an arc-lamp line, the current being cut oft from some one arc; and Fig. 12 a similar view showing the arrangement when the particular division controlled by the switch is cut in.

The difficulty with most sin gle-pole switches used for the connections of incandescent lights is that they do not indicate when the current is on and when it is off. Again, if a part breaks, it may so fall as to complete the circuit, and the current cannot be cut off without taking the switch apart with a constant danger in so doing, and, being composed of at least seven parts, it is expensive to make.

My switch is simple, inexpensive, and not liable to break, but so arranged that if it should the current will almost certainly be cut off. Furthermore, its arrangement is such that it readily indicates when the circuit is closed and when broken, and its form such that it may be more conveniently placed in an inconspicuous position than those in use in Figs. 1 and 9.

I show it as adapted for a single-pole switch;

but it may be readily altered to make a double-pole switch, as shown in Fig. 10, or an arc-lamp-line switch, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12. As shown, it consists of a box B, in the bottom of which there is a dovtailed groove g. Near one end there is preferably arranged a pillow-block b, and it is provided with a cover C. It is usually made of'wood, and being rectangular in form the cover may be madeto conform to the style of a windowframe or other molding upon which it is to be placed, and the box being let into the wood-work the cover makes a part thereof, and nothing appears except the thumb-piece of the slide and the slot in which it may move; but porcelain would answer equally well, or even metal, if block b were an insulator and the wires made no electrical cont-act with the box.

In groove g, I seat a slide S. It has a thumbpiece t, a bridge 1), two inclined planes psecured to the main body of the slide, and inclined shoulders s, all parts but the bridge being preferably non-conductors. One plane p might be omitted, as will be shown.

Secured to block b and extending well forward are two contact-pieces d d, with offsets at the free ends, usually brass leaf springs, their said free ends being arranged to normally rest in a plane a little below the level of the lower ends of planes p, and with the ends secured upon block'b separate wires w w are electrically connected. These con tact-pieces might be simple strips extending directly inward from the sides of the box and without offsets; but as arranged a greater length of spring is more conveniently permitted.

The operation of the switch is as follows: The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1, it is desired to close the circuit. Then the thumb-piece is seized and the slide moved toward the other end of the groove g in the cover. Planes 19 pass under the offset ends of (Z (1 and raise them up, as seenin Figs.2and 3. As S moves on these pieces pass off the rear ends of planes 1) and fall upon bridge Z), and the contact is complete from one wire to, through one piece (I, the bridge I), and the other piece (1, to wire to. To break the circuit, the slide is moved back, pieces (Z cl pass off bridge I), but under planes 1), their rear ends being higher than bridge I), and the cirro cuit is broken. If at this moment the move ment of the slide were reversed, still the circuit would remain broken, for the normal position of the free ends of pieces cl (Z is lower than bridge I), and the non-conducting shoul- I 5 ders s, with their downward and backward inclination, would be first to engage pieces (1 (Z and would force them still lower. It therefore follows that before the circuit can be again closed slide S must be returned to its first position, in doing which planes 1) will force down and ride over the free ends of pieces (1 (1, which will then rise above the level of the lower ends of said planes, and the switch is again in position to be operated to close the circuit. It therefore follows that the circuit will seldom he accidentally closed, for if not returned to the first position the slide cannot close the circuit at all, and if so returned sufficient force must be employed to 0 force pieces (I (1 up sufficiently to let planes 2) pass under them and to carry the slide far enough to permit them to fall upon the bridge b.

In Fig. 7, as is manifest, but one plane 1) is 5 employed, its operation being as already de scribed. On the other side of slide S there is no wing, and piece (1 rests continuouslyupon bridge 1).

Of course pieces (Z cl as to act merely by gravity, but the contact made would not be so perfect as when they are in the form of springs. Planes 79, instead of being part of the body of slide S, might be wings pivoted thereto, as shown by Fig. 8, or the combination might be reversed and the plane placed upon the contact-pieces and flat wings placed upon the slide, as shown by Fig. 9, without departing from the spirit of the invention; but the arrangement shown is the one I prefer, and especially the relative dimensions of the parts, which insure that when the slide is near the farther extremity of the box the circuit is closed and when near the center it is broken. This can easily be re- 5 5 membered, or an indicator may be placed beside groove 9. I

The modification shown in Fig. 10 will be readily understood, the only changes being in having four contact-pieces instead of two and arranging the wings to release them all at the same moment, providing also that the bridge shall extend so as to receive the ends of each set as they fall and dividing it into two sections 1) and b insulated from each other by strips i, one of which sections 1) will bridge the circuit from terminal dto d, and the other I) will bridge that from terminal d to (Z might be pivoted so In Figs. 11 and 12 the slide is extended at the front and has conducting-strips 0 upon the wings, but insulated from each other, and insulated from the bridge also, by narrow strips 1', (shown by heavy black lines,) usually at some point of the inclined plane made narrower than the ends of the contact-pieces and exactly at the same relative distance from the respective ends of said pieces. in w are intended to represent the wires of some particular lamp, and W W the 1nainline conductor.

\Vhen the switch is in the position shown in Fig. 11, it will be noticed that the circuit from \V to VV' is completed through bridge 7) direct, but no current reaches to 10'. Now, if the slide is moved to the position shown in Fig. 12 the contact-pieces d d ride over the planes, cross insulations i, and rest on strips 0, and the circuit is from W through d e (Z w, lamp in (Z c (1 WV, as is desired, and, as stated, (1 (2' being wider than i, made contact with a before they broke contact from the bridge-extensions on the planes, and there was therefore no sparking, as would otherwise have been the case.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electrical switch, the combination of twocontact-pieces, a slide carrying a bridge and a wing, and an inclined plane arranged in a line drawn parallel to the line of movement of said slide and through said wing and the free end of the adjacent contact-piece, secured, as described, so that when said slide is moved in one direction until a line drawn at right angles to its line of movement will pass through the .contactpiece, the wing, and the inclined plane said wing will be at one side of said piece and of the inclined plane, a portion of said plane will be between a portion of said wing and the contact-piece, and all will be in contact, and when moved farther the contact-piece will engage the bridge, all substantially as set forth.

2. In an electrical switch, the combination of two contactrpieces, a slide carrying a bridge and a wing, and an inclined plane arranged in a line drawn parallel to the line of movement of said slide and through said wing and the free end of the adjacent contact-piece, secured, as described, so that when said slide is moved in one direction until a line drawn at right angles to its line of movement will pass through the contact-piece, the wing, and the inclined plane said wing will be at one side of said piece andof the inclined plane, a portion of said plane will be between said wing and the contact-piece, and all will be in contact, but when moved in the opposite direction from its limit of motion until it reaches the position aforesaid said wing will be at the other side of said piece, all substantially as set forth.

3. In an electrical switch, the combination of two contact-pieces, aslide carrying a bridge, and an inclined plane located in front of said ITO bridge, one end higher and the other lower than it and lower than the normal position of the free end of the adjacent contact-piece, which is itself normally lower than the plane of the bridge, substantially as set forth.

4. In an electrical switch, the combination of two contact-pieces,a slide carrying a bridge, an inclined plane located in front of said bridge, one end higher and the other lower than it and lower than the normal position of the free end of the adjacent contact-piece, which is itself normally lower than the plane of the bridge, and an inclined shoulder placed below said bridge, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electrical switch, the combination of two contact-pieces with a space between their free ends, a slide with a body narrower than said space, adapted to move between 'sions than the space inclined planes of greater dimenbetween the sides of the slide andthe adjacent ends of the contactpieces and at one end higher and the other said ends,

' lower than said free end, and abridge secured York and State of New York, this 3d day of 0 May, A. D. 1890.

JOHN A. KI MCGREGOR.

Witnesses:

PETER B. VERMILYA, A. G. N. VERMILYA. 

